Apple Watch event: What to expect
THE tech giant is set to reveal its final details of its Apple Watch tomorrow. But what other surprises does the company have in store?
APPLE’S next big event is in the wee hours of tomorrow morning. Usually we know for sure what to expect from the tech giant, but this time it’s different. No one really knows exactly what’s happening.
Sure, there’s going to be something about a watch. But what about it? Are they going to announce something else?
The launch will be held at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, instead of the smaller Town Hall on the Apple campus, which has led many to think a watch isn’t the only thing Apple will talk about. Here is what they are most definitely going to announce, what they might and what they certainly won’t.
Details on the Apple Watch
This is expected to be the centre of the event. While Apple actually announced the Watch in September last year, it was pretty scarce on details. We still haven’t heard anything on pricing, availability or whether customers will be able to buy customised bands from third-party manufacturers.
It’s safe to say that the Apple Watch will launch within a few weeks in at least the US, and if recent Apple launches are to go by, about the same time in Australia too.
Price is where it gets confusing. There have been predictions the watch will start at $US349 ($A453.28) for the sport model and up to $US749 ($A972.80) for the most expensive Edition model. However, longtime Apple pundit John Gruber predicts the mid-range Apple Watch steel will start at $US749 ($A972.80), while the 18-karat gold Edition model will start at a whopping $US7499 ($A9740).
Customisation of the Apple Watch is going to be a big part of the marketing to set it apart from competitors. So how do you customise a watch? Swappable bands. Apple has already shown off a few at the original launch, but no pricing was shown. Nor was it discussed whether customers would be able to buy third-party bands. Whether Apple officially licenses third-party bands or not, it’s hard to see outside manufacturers not getting involved in such a potentially big market.
Who would have thought 20 years ago that our watches would run computer programs? Well just like the iPhone, the Apple Watch will be nothing without its apps. Expect to see lots of third-party apps shown off tomorrow. One advantage of Apple having four months between announcement and launch is that developers have had that whole time to get apps ready for day one. Perhaps even an Apple Watch App Store.
New and updated MacBooks
Apple is overdue for both a new MacBook and to update its existing models.
Back in January, 9to5Mac detailed a new laptop that was in most ways smaller than the current 11-inch Air, but featured a bigger 12-inch display. It was even suggested that Apple would develop a version that featured only two ports: a reversible USB and a headphone jack.
The existing Macbook Airs are also due for updated internals because their processors and screen resolution are behind the times. Expect to see updates there.
Apple Pay
Apple Pay has been available in the US for several months, but rumours have been flowing since January that the company could be gearing up to launch the service internationally this month. This, of course, would align perfectly with tomorrow’s event.
Apple was advertising jobs in December for teams in Europe and Asia to roll out Apple Pay, so it looks like it will be sooner rather than later regardless.
Don’t expect a larger iPad, streaming service or Apple TV
The most-rumoured product of late from Apple is the launch of a bigger, 12.9-inch iPad “pro”. That’s still expected to launch, however, reports from Bloomberg suggested that manufacturing isn’t due to start until September. This would put its launch in line with Apple’s yearly iPad event in October or November.
Likewise with Apple’s rebranding of Beats Music; that’s not going to be ready until its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
And the Apple Car? Maybe next decade.
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